Fire-proof building construction unit



Sept. 20, 1955 l. E. HOBART 2,718,287

FIRE-PROOF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION UNIT Filed July 2, 1951 Fig. 2

Fig. 20

. v Fig-4 l/ia E. Hobart INVENTOR.

United States Patent Cilicc Patented Sept.,20, 1955 FIRE-PROOF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION UNIT Ilia E. Hobart, Mount Vernon, N. Y.

Application July 2, 1951, Serial No. 234,7 61

2 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) The present invention relates to certain new and use ful improvements in hollow sheet metal fire-proof building and construction units such as, for example, partitions, doors and the like, and has more particular reference to stabilizing and warp-proofing spacer ribs which are interposed between the main plates or panels of said unit.

The principal object of the invention is to unite the stated panels or plates by spacing and reinforcing ribs, the latter being interposed between the interior surfaces of the plates and means being provided on the plates whereby the longitudinal edge portions of the ribs may be satis: factorily keyed to said plates, whereby the plates, are maintained in precise spaced parallelism and bulging'and sagging of said plates is reduced to a minimum Another object of the invention is to utilize ribs of asbestos-board or equivalent material of equal insulating properties, whereby to retard heat transference from one plate to the other plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and economicalhollow fire-proof building construction unit in which manufacturers and users will find their respective requirements and needs fully met and contained and in which the municipal requirements of ordinance departments, in respect to fire resistive, constructions, will be aptly met.

Briefly summarized, the invention has to do with a unit embodying a pair of fiat metal spaced parallel plates, an asbestos keying and warp-proofing rib interposed between said plates, means on the interior of one plate providing a separable snap-joint connection between said plate and rib, corresponding means on the interior of the remaining plate providing a separable snap-joint connection between said latter plate and mating portion of said rib, whereby to allow said plates to be joined to and united with said rib in directions at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said rib.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on the foregoing simplified assemblage of plates and one or more ribs, in conjunction with channel-shaped stiles having interlocked connection with the longitudinal edges of said plates and closing the corresponding spaces between the plates, and telescoping channel-shaped top and bottom capping members closing in the corresponding spaces of said plates and end portions of said stiles and having permanent welded joint connection with said plates and stiles. Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying 7 sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire-proof building construction unit (specifically a flush door) with stiles constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately on the vertical line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, but contracted, elevational and sectional view on the horizontal line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan and sectional view, like Figure 3, of a pan-type flush door without stiles, detailing the construction of one of the fire resistive ribs and means keying same to the complemental seam-welded pans.

Novelty is primarily predicated, as will be evident, on the composite reinforcing and heat resistive rib construction shown in detail in Figure 4 and shown fully installed in Figure 2. Additional novelty is predicated on a door made up as shown in Figure 1, no novelty being claimed for the specific interlocking devices or means between the stiles 22 and sheet plates 6 and 8 depicted in Figure 3. it is obvious that the unit in Figure 1 may represent a door, partition, or the like, and the description is to be interpreted accordingly.

The flat rectangular spaced parallel metal or equivalent sheet material plates are denoted by the numerals 6an'd8,"

these being duplicates of each othep/The numeral 10 (Figures 3 and 4) designates a suitable insert or filler of asbestos or other fire-proof material which may, if desired, be employed as a supplemental spacer and sound deadening element. Any number of the improved fire sistive, reinforcing or stabilizing ribs may be provided. A description of one will suffice for all. the rib is preferably of hard asbestos-board ancLis denoted by the numeral 12 in Figures 3 and 4 and is generally rectangular in cross-section. The opposite longitudinal edge portions of each rib are fashioned into truncated .or-wedge-shaped keying heads 1414. The longitudinal sides or faces 1515 adjacent the heads 14-14 are provided with keeper grooves 1616. The grooved "and headed edge portions of the rib 12 are fastened respectively to the interior surfaces of the plates 6 and 8 by way of metal or equivalent adapter and keying channels 17. These are of suitable metal and have thin bight portions welded in place, as shown. Each channel 17 has longitudinal converging flanges 18-13 and these have their edge or lip portions terminating in V-shaped assembling and retaining tongues 20. The flanges are resilient and the tongues are adapted to snap into the keeper seats provided by the stated keying grooves 16. The

' rib 12 may be slid lengthwise into the channel or keyway provided by said channel 17; or, the headed edge 14 of one side of the rib 12 may be snapped into the co-acting adapter channels on one plate 6 and then the other plate 8 forcibly snapped over the remaining head 14 on the opposite side of the rib. This snap-jointure connection between opposed adapter channels 17 and rib 12 is highly important in that the connection may be made in directions at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rib, as is obvious. It is also within the purview of the invention (not shown) to have the keeper grooves formed in the flanges 18 and tongues formed alon the opposite faces of the rib, whereby to provide an alternate snapjoint connection between the parts. The left and right stiles 2222, are channel-shaped in cross-section and are of metal and abut the longitudinal offset edge portions of the plates 6 and 8, in the manner shown best in Figure 3. Here the walls of the stile 22 are provided with return bends 24 providing keepers for the laterally offset edge portions 26-26 of the plates 6 and 8. An interlocking insert of channel-shaped form is also provided as at 28. It is understood, however, that the invention merely has to do with stiles 2222 closing in the spaces between the longitudinal edges of the plates 6 and 8 and suitably interlocked as specifically shown or otherwise connected with said plates. The upper and lower telescoping channel caps 30 and 32, also sometimes called end-pans, are fitted inside between the open ends of the stiles 22'22 and upper and lower open ends of the plates 6 and 8 and are welded or otherwise secured in place to close in all spaces. Suitable vent holes are provided as at 34. In practice, with respect to the flush door with stiles 22-22 the channel caps or pans 39 and 32 are swaged, as shown at 36, to fit around and accommodate the means 24 and spot Welded to both plates 6 and 8 and the stated stiles 22-22.

A building unit characterized by the facilities and improvements herein disclosed will promote, obviously, a saving of time, labor and material. The components may be expeditiously assembled to produce the desired end product; namely, a better fire-proof, hollow construction unit unique in that it embodies the improved rib means with the ribs 12 preferably of asbestos or equivalent heatretarding properties.

It is to be understood that the invention has to do with a flush-type door with stiles (Figures 1 to 3) as well as a flush pan-type door (Figure 4) which is without the shown and described stiles 22-22. This type is shown in Figure 4 and the plates here take the form of pans 6a and 8a havinglateral flanges 77 which are butted and are welded or seam welded as shown. By invention here is meant the aforementioned rib 12 and keying adapters or channels 17-17; V

Minor changes in shape, size, materials, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to in actual practice without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A fire-proof building construction unit embodying a pair of flat metal complemental plates, a first complemental adapter channel affiXed to the interior surface of one of said plates, said adapter channel being of a length commensurate with the length of said plate and embodying a web portion superimposed upon and directly joined with the plate and including lengthwise flanges converging toward each other and having free terminal edge portions provided with V-shaped assembling and retaining tongues, a second adapter channel complemental to said first adapter channel and identical in construction also having a web portion superimposed upon and directly secured to the interior surface of the other plate and including converging lengthwise flanges having free edge portions terminating in V-shaped assembling and retaining tongues, a rigid keying and warp-proofing rib solid in cross-section and constructed of insulation material and located between the plates and of a length corresponding with the length of each adapter channel, the longitudinal edge portions of said rib telescoping between the respective flanges of the respective adapter channels and the longitudinal edges of the rib being in direct contact with the coacting web portions, the opposite side surfaces of said rib having lengthwise grooves and said tongues being snapped into and held in their respective cooperating grooves, whereby the rib thus serves to separably interconnect the plates in spaced parallelism.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the lengthwise edge portions of said rib are wedge-shaped in cross section and are thus adapted to spread the V-shaped tongues and cooperating flanges apart during the act of seating said edge portions in the channels and permitting the plates to be thus keyed together by way of the rib and adapter channels in directions at right angles to the lengthwise axis of said rib, and the combination therewith of readily applicable and removable means cooperating with the respective longitudinal and transverse edge portions of the spaced plates and substantially closing the transverse and longitudinal portions of the spaces which would otherwise exist between said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nyman Dec. 19, 1922 Hart et al. Mar. 8, 1932 Ross et al Nov. 2, 193] 

